Happy Baker: Your heart will melt for this Valentine's Day chocolate bread pudding

I think chocolate is for Valentine's Day. Flowers are nice, but there is something about chocolate. Maybe it's the idea that you can share and enjoy a chocolate treat with your special someone. How romantic is that?

Barbara Deck(Photo: Courtesy)

This year for a chocolate Valentine's Day gift I went with a chocolate bread pudding. And to top it, I went with my favorite bourbon sauce.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a pan (I use an 11 inch by 11 inch aluminum square pan).
2. In one bowl whip eggs. Add sugars and whip to blend. Then add the half and half, cappuccino drink, liqueurs and vanilla and stir to blend Cut or tear up French bread into bite size chunks. Add bread to egg mixture and toss to mix. Set aside.
3. In a second bowl sift cocoa powder. Add cinnamon and stir to mix. Then add chocolate chips and stir to coat. Combine this with the bread mixture and stir to blend. If mixture is too thick (clings like putty) add a little more liquid (your chocolate drink or half and half). If too thin (runs off the spoon like a waterfall) add more bread.
4. Scoop pudding mixture into buttered pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. When done edges will be golden brown and a butter knife inserted into pudding will come out clean (could be you'll get a bit of melted chocolate on the knife, that's alright).

Bourbon Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, salted

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)

1/4 cup half and half

1/8 cup bourbon (I like Wild Turkey with honey)

Directions

1. Melt butter over low heat in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves in butter. Slowly add whipping cream and half and half (I combine them first) a little at a time, constantly stirring until blended. Turn heat up to a gentle boil (bubbles form around the perimeter of the pan). Continue to stir constantly until consistency is such that sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.

2. When done, remove pan from heat and add Bourbon a little at a time (as you add Bourbon there will be a bit of bubbling). Let sauce cool slightly before pouring on bread pudding.

If you put leftover bread pudding in the refrigerator for another time, and when you take it out it doesn't seem as moist as before, pour a little coffee or chocolate liqueur over it. The bread pudding will taste every bit as good as the first time, or better.